RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving CT-guided accelerated radiation therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying giving radiation therapy followed by surgery to see how well it works in treating patients with early-stage breast cancer.

Patients undergo biopsy and fine-needle aspiration prior to and during radiotherapy and at the time of surgery. Gene expression profiling from RNA and DNA isolated from these samples are used to identify breast cancer radiosensitivity. biopsies and fine needle aspiration taken of the tumor before, during radiotherapy and at time of operation. The mRNA gene expression profiles, the miRNA expression profiles and the DNA copy number changes are correlated with response to radiotherapy (defined as pathologic response at the time of the lumpectomy [i.e. 6 weeks after the completion of the PAPBI]).

Fresh-frozen tumor tissue, blood, and urine samples are also collected to assess the radio-induced genetic alterations; to study the early changes in gene profiling; and to evaluate the early functional-imaging modifications.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

60 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Diagnosis of unifocal cT1-2 (1-3 cm) pN0 M0 breast cancer

Must have undergone a sentinel node procedure prior to irradiation

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

See Disease Characteristics

Contacts and Locations

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To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01024582